Wedge type curtain rod guide



p 2129 1953 I. B. KUBILIUNAS 2,652,959

WEDGE TYPE CURTAIN ROD GUIDE Filed July 1, 1950 Z5 26 I I I T 7 J f1 30 5 2 1+4 24 Patented Sept. 22, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved curtain rod guide which is designed to engage over one end of a curtain rod and to provide a slender tapering end for insertion through the heading of a curtain, especially one which has been freshly laundered and whose adjacent heading portions may have become attached to one another during the laundering process. A. widely employed class of curtain rods are those commonly referred to as channel type curtain rods, which normally have an intermediate body portion and edge portions rolled over upon themselves in spacedapart relation to define a longitudinally extending channel.

In a copending application I have described and claimed a curtain rod guide which is provided with a guide rib designed to engage between the rolled edges and become secured in place for a threading operation. Recently there has been developed and marketed a modified curtain rod construction in which the rolled edges are arranged in abutting relation to provide for strength and cheapness of manufacture. It is not feasible to employ a curtain rod guide of the class above described with this type of curtain rod since there is no space between the rolled edges for attaching or engaging a guide rib portion.

The present invention is concerned with the problem of attaching a curtain rod guide to this specific closed type of curtain rod, and aims to provide an improved tubular type of curtain rod guide which can be easily and permanently a tached to a curtain rod in which the rolled edges lie in abutting relation to one another. It is also an object of the invention to devise a guide which embodies, in one simple retaining structure, means for engaging and securing thereto a relatively wide variety of curtain rod structures, especially including both open channel type curtain rods and rods in which the rolled edges lie in abutting relation.

These and other objects and novel features will be more fully understood and appreciated from the following description of a preferred embodirnent of the invention selected for purposes of illustration and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which;

Fig. 1 is a detailed perspective view illustrating a curtain rod of the channel section type having rolled edges lying in abutting relation to one another;

Fig. 2 is a plan, fragmentary view, showing the curtain rod guide of the invention assembled on a curtain rod of the type shown in l, viewed from a slightly different position;

Fig. 3 is an end elevational view;

Fig. 4 is a vertical, cross-sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is another cross-sectional view taken on the line 55 of Fig. 3.

In the structure shown in Fig. 1, there has been illustrated a channel type curtain rod ii) which includes rolled edges l2 joined by an intermediate reinforced body portion Hi to provide a relatively rigid curtain rod member which can be quickly and cheaply manufactured. As will be observed, the rolled edges l2 extend in to substantially abutting relation to one another in their normal position, shown at the left-hand side of Fig. 1. It should be understood that ourtain rods of this general shape are usually constructed of a thin sheet metal which has a limited amount of resilience when subjected to stress. This limited resilience characteristic of the sheet metal, together with the springiness derived from the rolled edge construction, is taken advantage of in constructing the guide member of the in vention.

The guide member is shown at the right-hand side of Fig. 1 as denoted by the numeral l8 and comprises a relatively flat tubular body having one end open and an opposite end closed to present a thin tapering tip 20. The tip is preferablv formed with opposite convex surfaces 2! which meet to define a sharp curved edge, as may be observed in Fig. 4. This curved edge of the tapering tip construction described is designed to pass readily through the aperture of a heading of a curtain, and in the case of adjacent portions of the heading becoming attached to one another, as may occur in the laundering of the curtain, the convex surfaces 2! function to force apart adhering curtain portions without the edge of the curtain rod guide actually contacting any part of the curtain material. This tends to avoid tearing or injuring fine fabrics in the general use of the device.

The tubular member 18 includes a relatively inflexible fiat side 22 and a relatively thin yieldable flat side 24. Projecting from the inner surface of the side 22 is a rib 25 which extends longitudinally and centrally of the tubular member to define a pair of barrel portions or converging guideways 28 and iii]. The shape of the guideways is preferably chosen to correspond, somewhat generally, to the contour of the rolled edges of the curtain rod it so that at some point along the guide, the rolled edges of the curtain rod will come to bear smoothly against the curved inner surfaces of the guideways 28 and 3d. The flat side 25 is also formed with small spaced-apart bearing ribs 25 and 21.

This engagement of the curtain rod with the guide is further facilitated by constructing the guideways 28 and 3b with relatively large apertures at their outer ends and causing the apertures to become progressively smaller in circumference as they converge inwardly toward the tip 29.

The overall width of the guideways at the open end of the guide may conveniently be chosen to. exceed the width of larger sizes of most curtain rods of the channel section type commonly mam uiactured and sold, while the width of the guideways at the extreme inner end may be chosen to be less of the minimum width of curtain rods of the channel section type employed, which arrangement ensures that the rod will be forced in to engagement with the barrel surfaces, as noted above, at some intermediate point.

In accordance with the invention the rib 26 is formed with sloping sides which merge to. form an intermediate bearing edge 38, as noted in Fig. 3 for example. This bearing edge 36 is variably spaced from the side 24 and at the open end of the tubular member the bearing edge is formed with a curved wedge-shaped extremity 38. An important feature of the invention is the construction of this wedge-shaped section in such a manner as to engage against the abutting edges of the rod Iii. The wedge section is chosen of a depth such that it may extend into and below the rolled abutting edges to force them apart and to allow them to engage with the rib in the manner shown in Fig. 1, while still providing an intermediate rib section which can engage between an open channel type rod, if desired.

In using the curtain rod guide the curtain rod is held in one hand while the guide is entered over the head of the extremity of the rod, with the intermediate body portion M of the rod engaging against the ribs 25 and 21 of the thin yieldable side 24 of the guide. At the same time the curved wedge-shaped extremity of the rib 26 moves into contact with the abutting edges E2 of the rod, pressing downwardly against each of these edges and forcing them slightly apart from one another, in the manner suggested in Fig. 1. Due to the resiliency present in the rod, both by reason of the sheet metal construction and the rolled edge formation, such forcing apart may be readily carried out with the wedgeshaped portion of the rib, for a short distance, with the wedge shaped portion becoming firmly entered between the rolled edges to solidly secure this portion in place and to resiliently urge the intermediate portion it of the rod against the yieldable side 25 of the guide. At the same time, as the engagement of the wedge-shaped portion between the rolled edge takes place, the curved sections of these edges are forced against the tapering or converging guideways at some point therealong so that a substantial locking effect is achieved, both at the middle portion of the curtain rod and at its outer sections.

It will be seen, therefore, that by providing a rib 26 with a specific wedge-shaped portion of the character indicated, the guide may be useful with either open channel type rods, Where the rib is engaged between the rolled edges without distorting these members, and also with closed channel type rods where these rolled edges are required to be forced apart a slight distance.

It should be understood that the invention may be modified and changed in various respects in keeping with the spirit of the invention defined by the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I desire to claim as new is:

l. A curtain rod guide for a curtain rod of the channeling type having rolled edges which extend into abutting relationship with one another, said guide comprising a tubular body formed with an opening for receiving the channel type curtain rod guide therein, the tubular member having a base consisting of a relatively thin, flexible wall portion, the flexible wall portion being adapted to receive and support the central body portion of the said central type rod when located in the tubular opening of the guide, a rigid rib formed centrally in an opposite continuous wall portion of the guide, the rib presenting a longitudinally extending bearing member, said bearing member being V-shaped along its longitudinal axis with its point extending toward the said opening and having a V-shaped cross-section defining an edge disposed toward the flexible wall portion, said edge being curved from a point on the continuous wall adjacent the opening to a point intermediate the flexible Wall portion and the continuous wall portion.

2. A curtain rod guide for a curtain rod of the channelling type having rolled edges which ex tend into substantially abutting relationship with one another, said rod including a tubular body formed with an opening for receiving the channel type curtain rod therein, the tubular member having a relatively thin flexible wall portion extending therealong, the flexible wall portion being adapted to receive and support the central body portion of the channel type rod when located in the tubular opening of the guide, a rigid internal rib formed in an opposite continuous portion of the body to produce a longitudinally extending bearing member, said internal rib defining a pair of guideways which converge along either side of the rib, said rib being substantially V-shaped along its longitudinal axis with its point exten ing toward the said opening and having a substantially V-shaped cross-section defining an edge disposed toward the flexible wall portion, said edge being curved from a point on the continuous Wall adjacent the opening to a point intermediate the flexible wall portion and the con tinuous wall portion.

IGNAS B. KUBILIUNAS.

Name Date Kubiliun-as Aug. 29. 1950 Number 

